NEAT, a strategic alliance of neighborhood associations, businesses, non-profits, public agencies and other stakeholders representing the Historic Northeast, had limited resources to pay for the design work and decided to solicit designs through the website DesignCrowd.com.

With an eye on authenticity, NEAT also issued a local “call for artists” to encourage hometown designers to participate.

After receiving more than 25 designs, five designs were selected and shared with the community for a popular vote to select the winning artist. Stalder submitted the top two designs, which nearly tied in votes. In order to “break the tie,” NEAT worked with Stalder over the past few months to develop several additional concepts that combined both of the two equally popular designs and further refine the concepts to make them easily reproducible for print and signage.

NEAT is once again asking for the community’s assistance to select a favorite amongst the new “combined” concepts. An online survey has been developed in combination with a paper ballot process to allow individuals to cast votes for their favorite design. Residents can vote by participating in the online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/historicnelogo or by marking their favorite design on a paper ballot that can be picked up and dropped off at the North-East Public Library (6000 Wilson Rd.), Mattie Rhodes Center (148 N. Topping) or the offices of the Northeast News (5715 St. John Ave.)

The deadline for submitting votes will be 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15th. Voters are asked to choose the logo which they think will best represent the Historic Northeast “district” and help foster pride in the community. Based on these votes, a final design will be recommended to NEAT and announced on Friday, Nov. 22.

Earlier this year, NEAT worked with the city of Kansas City and City Council member Scott Wagner to secure $10,000 in funding to use toward the installation of way finding signage within Historic Northeast. The final logo will be incorporated into this way finding signage which is expected to be installed during the first quarter of 2014. The logo will also be used in print and social media materials that are being developed through a partnership between NEAT and the city of Kansas City in order to raise awareness of new and existing programs to assist home owners and businesses in making new investments in the area.

“Marketing and branding are critical elements of a broader effort at redevelopment and revitalization for the Historic Northeast, which I am thrilled to be involved in and help support through a resourceful use of some one-time city revenues,” said Wagner, who also formerly served as Indian Mound Neighborhood Association president.

Kerrie Tyndall, assistant to the city manager and a member of the marketing committee that has been working on the contest, added, “There is a tremendous amount of synergy going on in the Northeast and this branding image is another great example of the surge of engagement and pride that we have seen over the past year in this area.”